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Interview // MIAMIGO

MIAMIGO send a dark message in the latest interview.

Have you met your favourite band already? Because you might want to rethink that. I mean the favourite part.

Jamie and Liam

I caught up with the band MIAMIGO just after their brilliant Deezer Live Session last week which was pretty cool. And the Brighton duo thought so too.

So cool! – Liam says. I was watching the advert on TV the other day, you know and I just thought “This is great!”. Then we found out we were playing.. This is awesome. Really good night.

In spite of being a young band these two go way back. And they’ve got some interesting stories to tell. So what’s the best that has happened so far?

Every moment is amazing at the moment

This [Deezer thing] – Jamie laughs. We did a gig in Leeds recently which was really good. A lot of people, who were there, knew the songs.

That was our first gig up North – Liam continues. And the first time I think, we’ve gone to the gig where people were just singing back. It’s nice to have people who sing along and sing back at you. Other than that, I guess going to L.A. was pretty fun.

Yeah, we went to L.A. last year to do some writing – Jamie adds. We went to all the places Santa Monica, Hollywood..and you know, it felt like a movie set.

That was really awesome and surreal experience – Liam sums up. But every moment is amazing at the moment.

We’ve known each other for ten or eleven years – Liam begins. We did some musical projects growing up together and then coincidentally we both moved down to Brighton where we went to the University. You know, we lived together so we started doing music together and putting it online. Then it got some attention.

Officially, as a band we started almost exactly two years ago – Jamie clarifies. As for playing properly live together – that was maybe a year ago. Our first gig was The Great Escape.

Two years are plenty of time! Not to mention ten.. So how has their music evolved?

Ten years ago we were just writing – Jamie says. It was pretty much just a guitar. Now we record and produce ourselves at home.

We were a garage band – Liam adds. Simple, you know. But soundwise it’s always been quite melodic and quite poppy. A ‘dark pop’ or whatever you want to call it.

We always want to make the best pop song that we can – Jamie claims. That’s the aim for every song but then it’s probably gone slightly less 80s since we started, I guess. We’re still keeping it but it’s gone more away from that sort of sound. Maybe a little bit stripped back comparing to two years ago. We’re more rhythmic.

You might think there are plenty of bands like this one. Just making pop music which sounds the same most of the time. But there’s something different about MIAMIGO – the already very distinctive nature of their sound. The blend of “dark pop” if you like, plus the retro, but fresh, vibes bringing the 80s back, all the up and lowtempo guitars with the steady bass line and unsettling drums. Add all those synths with unique soaring vocals and you get the perfect combination. As they say, they also might bring the piano to the live shows – but just after Liam’s dance moves.

It’s a dark message – you can dance your worries away

We love John Hughes’ films and films of the 80s and film soundtracks of that era – Liam states right away.

I think we both really like the way that era sounds – Jamie explains. You can recognize that instantly.

We’re thinking of the aesthetics before we finish the song – Liam says. We both used to make films as well, rubbish films..

Like horror movies and stuff – Jamie adds. The thing is, I find it difficult to produce music that isn’t sort of really brazenly pop because that’s what comes naturally – pop music. We don’t try to make it dark. It’s lyrically dark.

My lyrics tend to be quite miserable on the contrary to Jamie’s production – Liam says. So it’s kind of bitter-sweet. I guess, it’s a dark message – you can dance your worries away.

The duo dropped a new song yesterday titled PotLuck which definitely made everyone’s Monday much better. You can listen to the track below. So what’s the deal?

“PotLuck” is about one of our favourite times we’ve already told you about – Liam starts. The first day in LA. I’ll be quite literal about this. We drove all around the city, down to the beach and other cool places.. And then we were asked if we wanted to smoke, all about like it was legal and that we should get a licence. So we did. A bit of Harold & Kumar’s day out in Hollywood. It was mad, really fun.

But it is actually one of our newest songs – Jamie says. It’s the direction we’re going to. It’s still very 80s obviously, but it’s got more of R&B vibe. You can hear more space in the song.

Yeah, we were just feeling very lucky at that time – Liam marks. Just reminiscing now.

It’s not just abut the weed – Jamie sums up.

From Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson to The XX, Miike Snow, Joanna Newsom and well, Justin Bieber on their playlist MIAMIGO seem to draw inspirations from a very diverse bunch of places which works definitely in favour. What’s next then?

We’re planning on releasing a few songs rather than collections of songs – Jamie says. Just a few singles, then a music video. Because to be fair, the songs on the previous EP are quite old. We’ve had them for number of years. As for the music we’re putting out now, that is really recent stuff we’re certain about.

One thing that’s been bothering me though. What’s with that name? MIAMIGO – I mean come on, there must be a very simple or a very intricate story behind it.

We were writing this song and we were about to put it online – Liam explains. We didn’t have a name. We went like “Should we just go under Friends?” because we’re friends or mates, or buddies? And then just one word – MIAMIGO – I thought it sounded cool, he [Jamie] did not. He thought that was a bad thing. But I think it’s fine because you can pronounce it either way.

I guess so – Jamie admits. A lot of our songs started out being about our friendship.

And all I want is to just be friends with them now. You should too.

Make sure to listen to all of their music and see some great snaps of their live session for Deezer below.